Those babies, precious and cute as they are, came with four little butts. And a LOT of diaper changes. Not including the 2-3 church services per week that I'm on diaper duty in the nursery, or the 5 years I was a nanny, I would say that I have changed at least 14,000 diapers (that's 365 days X 2 years X 4 kids X an average of 5 diapers per day). So when you factor in the nanny + nursery duty, the estimate is pretty low.
That's a LOT of diapers!!! I wish I could tell you that I have used cloth from the beginning, or that I'm an avid environmentalist trying to reduce my carbon footprint. I'm not. I tried cloth diapers when my third was born. It was pitiful. I bought Gerber diapers with the cheap Gerber plastic covers. And pins.
:::shudder:::
I gave up about a month in, much to the dismay of my husband, who had reluctantly handed over the $100 we didn't have so I could purchase everything.
When my fourth child came along, I had been desperately trying to potty train my 3 year old son. There was no way I was having 3 kids in diapers. But he just wasn't ready. Which meant that I had 2 girls in diapers, and a son in pull-ups. Money was tight. So I put my girls back in cloth, pins, and the loud, plastic covers.
At the time, I knew NO ONE who used cloth. Anyone who found out I made the switch thought I was a complete nut. I am. But not just because of cloth diapers.
Thankfully, I met my friend Ellisa, who came to my rescue a few months into the journey. She introduced me first to Snappi's.
No longer did I risk poking my girls in the hip, and my husband was a little more willing to change diapers. A little while later, she went back to work, put her son in disposables, and sold me her Fuzzibunz and Knickernappies pocket diapers.
I was in LOVE!!! They were as easy to change as a disposable!! And they were so CUTE, even if I had purchased mostly boy colors.
I was content with my new purchase. I loved cloth diapering, loved saving money, and would talk to anyone who was interested about cloth diapers. I even convinced some friends to try it for their own children. Those friends are still using cloth, so it's not just my wonderful powers of persuasion!
A year later, after potty training Amerie and wishing I had some girly dipes, I bought some covers and switched back to my Gerber diapers with Snappi's, only now I had velcro covers (they make diapers changes SO much easier!!) in some pretty fun colors.
Honestly, I love cloth diapers. I think they make something mundane but neccessary a little bit more interesting. We even have a local cloth diaper store, No Pins Required. It's so much fun to look at all of the diapers, covers, and accessories! Who knew diapering could be so much FUN?!?
I will admit that cloth diapering is not for everyone. It adds a load or two to your weekly laundry. You have to change diapers more frequently, becuase they're not ultra-absorbant like diposables. And the start-up cost is much more than a pack or two of diapers and wipes (but overall, it ends up a fraction of the cost you would incur with disposables). And sometimes, it's a little gross.
But you get over it. Just like you get over everything gross that comes with being a mom.
'Cuz they're worth it. :)
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